Safe In His Arms - Anna J. Stewart Butterfly Harbor Stories

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about Kendall. But she knew him well enough to guess the thought had crossed his mind. Matt Knight never did anything randomly. There was always a method to his...madness.

      Madness. Kendall almost laughed as she bade goodbye to Greta Bundy, a former council member who was looking to have her bedroom repainted. Her little cottage-style house looked like it had been plucked from the pages of Mother Goose, with the white picket fence, lattice trim around the windows and roof, a lush green lawn and an arched front door that had forest animals carved in the stained redwood.

      Kendall wouldn’t wish her familiarity with the opposite of the picture-postcard scene on anyone; it wasn’t as if she wore her issues like a badge of honor or even a shield. If anything, dragging her past with her was part of what kept her quiet most of the time. Not having the ability to see the bright side of anything for so long, she’d learned it was better to simply stay quiet and observe. And gradually, eventually, that silence had, in a way, set her free.

      She wasn’t meant for a life other than the one she had now. Simple, careful. Alone. That’s where she had to keep her focus. And leave the past in the past. The panic attacks had subsided, and she knew to plan well ahead of time should any fireworks or other large noises happen around town. And she’d been doing okay. Better than okay. She’d been doing...good.

      Until Hunter MacBride and his niece, Phoebe, had arrived.

      Kendall stopped walking, that familiar lack of air pressing in on her. The more she tried not to think about the little girl, the more she was all Kendall could think about. Images of another little girl, laughing and tumbling in the air, her face alight with promise and hope despite her family’s difficult circumstances. Until those circumstances were ended. For good.

      She needed to get back to the lighthouse. Back to where she felt safe. She could track Gil down later today or even tomorrow. But for now...

      No!

      Kendall snapped herself free. One hard shake of her head, one forced push of relaxation through her body had her looking at the peaceful sight of the blue ocean mere blocks away. From where she stood at the top of the hill, it felt so close. The water, the crashing waves. The feel of the damp sand between her toes. That was all she needed.

      “My kind of therapy, here I come.” Kendall slipped her phone into her back pocket and zipped up her sweatshirt. Keeping the ocean in focus, in sight, in mind, she walked forward.

      And longed for peace.

       CHAPTER FOUR

      “REMEMBER WHAT PAIGE at the diner said, Phoebe.” Hunter pushed open the door to Cat’s Eye Bookstore and ushered her inside. “Look up.”

      Phoebe’s chin shot up, and she turned in circles. Hearing Phoebe’s soft gasp before she pointed a finger up at the ceiling had Hunter doing the same. Amid the chin-high polished wooden bookcases filled with tomes, an intricate maze of wide shelves, cubbies and platforms had been built into the walls for three, no, five cats of varying ages to enjoy. A yellow-eyed tabby blinked down at them from its regal perch, reminding Hunter of the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. “Well, hello there.” Hunter couldn’t stop the smile from forming.

      “That’s Zacharia.” A man emerged from around the corner, his arms loaded with a stack of hardcover books. “And don’t worry, he’s not a leaper. He prefers to sit and rule over us from above.”

      “Good to know.” The last thing Hunter wanted today was for a cat to land on his face. “Paige over at the diner told us to be sure to look up when we came in.” He trailed his gaze around the room, shaking his head at the cats darting in and out of sight. “This is amazing. How many cats do you have?”

      “Officially? One. Zacharia there.” As if the books weighed no more than a bag of feathers, he stopped beside them. “We’re fostering four others at the moment. My daughter, Mandy, and I rotate them so they don’t get bored at the shelter. Also gets them acclimated to interacting with people and each other. Sorry. I’m rambling. What brings you by? Anything in particular?” He headed to the new releases table, placed the books he was carrying on the nearest shelf and started reorganizing the selection. “Or just browsing?”

      “Phoebe’s in need of some new books.” Hunter took a long moment to appreciate the larger-than-expected store that stood on the corner of Monarch Lane Whispering Wing three blocks from the diner. “And I suppose I am, too. Especially anything having to do with Butterfly Harbor and the surrounding areas. I’m doing research for a project.”

      “You must be Hunter MacBride. I’m Sebastian Evans.” The man offered his hand to shake. “Gil said he thought you might be stopping by. Welcome to Butterfly Harbor. And hello to you, too, Phoebe.” He bent down just as Paige had to meet Hunter’s niece eye to eye. “What kind of stories do you like?”

      “She reads widely,” Hunter said when Phoebe looked up at him. “And she’s...shy around strangers.”

      “Totally understand. Wish my Mandy had been shy at that age. Would have made things a lot easier.” Sebastian laughed. “She’d talk nonstop to anyone and everyone. Still does. That said, she’s thirteen now, so you must be seven? Eight?” he asked Phoebe.

      “Seven,” Hunter confirmed.

      “Right. I have a special going today on children’s and YA books. Buy three books, get the fourth for free. How about you and your uncle look around for a bit and if you have any questions, you can let me or one of the cats know?”

      Phoebe pointed up as a sleek black cat emerged from a cubby.

      “That one’s Ruby,” Sebastian told them. “And over there we have Bella. My daughter named her that because she’s so poofy and pretty. Not the sharpest crayon in the box, though. I can’t tell you how many times she’s mistaken a fur ball for a mouse. But a kind soul nonetheless.”

      Phoebe looked confused.

      Hunter wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a cat with so much fur. Almost pure white with a collar of gray, Bella had bright blue eyes that almost glowed even in the daylight. “What is she, a Ragdoll?” His great-aunt Eunice had had a Ragdoll cat when he’d been growing up.

      “We think so. Part, at least. Mandy’s been looking into it. She’s hoping to be a vet, which explains the menagerie around here. The ones you have to look out for are Chuck and Lilith. They’re barely a year old and love little girls especially. Careful or they might try to follow you home.”

      Hunter recognized a barely restrained plea when he heard it. “I’m not sure a cat is in the cards for us right now. We aren’t staying very long, and being so close to the cliffs—”

      “That’s right. You’re staying up at the Liberty, aren’t you? Mandy and I have been dying to see how it’s coming along, but we’re trying to be patient while Kendall finishes it.”

      Phoebe wandered down the aisle toward the children’s section.

      “So there’s only one person working on the lighthouse?” Hunter asked.

      “Yep. Kendall’s a bit of a one-woman miracle construction crew. Not much she can’t do on her own, but when she needs help, she knows who to call.”

      “You?” Hunter picked up a new mystery by one of his favorite authors he hadn’t realized was out yet.

      “Oh, no. There’s a reason I own and operate a bookstore. Mandy’s more handy than I am. No, the deputies help Kendall out from time to time, as well. And some of the local teens. And Frankie Bettencourt, of course. You meet Frankie yet?”

      “Afraid not. We only just got into town today.”

      “Butterfly Harbor’s first female firefighter. Also been a pain in my backside for going on thirtysomething years.”

      At Hunter’s curious look, Sebastian grinned.

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